Back-to-back 3-pointers by Chadron State’s senior guard Samiyah Worrell in the final 48 seconds were not quite enough as Colorado-Colorado Springs’ Agar Farres sank three free throws in the final 33 seconds that kept her team in the lead for a 58-57 victory in Chadron on Friday night.
After breaking out to a 18-5 lead in the first quarter, when the Mountain Lions made just two of 18 field goal shots, Chadron State was ahead all the way until the visitors’ Rylie Ottmann broke a 45-45 deadlock by making a layup with five minutes remaining.
The Eagles never got the lead back, but the second of Worrell’s treys made the difference just 57-56 with 24 seconds remaining. After that, both Farres and Worrell made one free throw and missed the second.
Colorado Springs turned the ball over with 5 seconds still showing. The Eagles called a time out to set up a final shot. It was a running jumper from about 15-feet. It was close but didn’t connect.
Both teams made 21 field goals, but the Mountain Lions hit six treys compared to the Eagles’ three, enough to barely offset Chadron State’s 12-10 advantage at the free throw line.
Worrell’s 16 points led all scorers. Shay Powers added 15 and Riley Aiono 10 for the Eagles. Jessica Nation scored 12 points, Maison White 11 and Farres 10 for Colorado Springs.
The Eagles hurt themselves by turning the ball over 28 times, a dozen more than the visitors. The statkeepers calculated that the Lions scored 26 points off of the CSC turnovers.
Chadron State will host Regis starting at 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon. The Rangers downed Colorado Christian 92-66 in Denver on Friday night.
Colorado Springs—Jessica Nation 12, Maison White 11, Agar Farres 10, Talia DePetrillo 9, Sydney Nilles 4, Gaila Zimbardo 4, Breelyn Robinson 3, Rylie Ottmann 3. Alexa Domingues 2. Totals: 21-65 (6-17) 10-18 58 points, 36 rebounds, 16 turnovers.
Chadron State—Samiyah Worrell 16, Shay Powers 15, Riley Aiono 10, Awoti Akoi 8, Allison Olsen 6, Kyra Tanabe 2. Totals: 21-51 (3-12) 12-15 57 points, 41 rebounds, 28 turnovers.
Colorado Springs 5 18 16 19 —58
Chadron State 18 10 12 27 —57
3-pointers: UCCS—DePetrillo 3, Farres, Nation, Robinson, Niiles, all 1. CSC—Worrell 2, Olsen 1.